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.There are easy and cheap things you might be able to do to add local HD channels to an HR20 or H20.

I am in the "deep fringe" with useless analog TV reception but now great HD TV reception. Here is how.

Antennaweb.org says that 57 miles southwest of Chicago, I will at most be able to get 1 HD channel. Even in Chicago, antennaweb thinks you can only get 12 digital channels.

HDTV Magazine correctly lists the 28 digital channels that are possible with a great color map. Click TVGuide.com to see what all is on right now.

One great source for amps, splitters, and antennas is Solid Signal. Their prices are great and they ship almost instantly. They will also talk you through gettingexactly the right equipment if you call them at: 866-374-4625.

The HR20 could only lock in a few channels on the old antenna and at best with 50% signal.

I upgraded to a decent antenna for about $70, Channel Master 3020. That helped a lot. 16 channels were now at 50% or higher signal. (If you call Solid Signal, they will match up the right antenna for your situation.)

Next I tried a basic distribution amp. A splitter can cut your signal in half or worse. A distribution amp does not really amplify that much but at least it is not worse. The distribution amp helped, but on the SD, you could see that it was also amplifying the noise. I needed the amplifier right at the antenna.

I tried a Radio Shack Pre-Amp for $50. It made little difference.

Then I finally got a $65 Channel Master 7777 from Solid Signal. WOW! That worked. Channels that the HR20 was not even able to lock on before are coming in. I now get 27 OTA channels at 70%-100%. Better yet, those new channels are in the HR20 Guide just like the channels coming from the Satellites. See this picture.

There is a lot that you can do even if you are way out on the fringe. Wait until you see all of the PBS channels you may be able to get...

BackgroundDIRECTV has enhanced the HD DVR+ PAUSE feature to allow you to easily toggle between two shows, each with a rewind buffer. You have the option to flip back to the time you left off (Option 1) or to real time (Option 2). When you flip shows, it automatically starts playing. Here is how to do it.

Option 1 - Flip Back to The Time You Left OffSetup1. Tune to Show 1. Press ®. This is your first live buffer or "anchor" program.2. Tune to Show 2. Press PAUSE. This sets your second live buffer.3. Press LIST > PLAY.

Flip Between the Dual Live Buffers (DLB) (For instance, toggle between Game 1 ↔ Game 2)Press PAUSE > PREV

Cleanup: Delete the Temporary Anchor File RecordingAfter you are done watching, you will now have the option of keeping the primary show or deleting it. To delete it: Press LIST • SELECT

Notes1. The old 30 minute DLB limit is gone. Show 1 will be buffered as a recording in it's entirity. Show 2 will have a 90 minute buffer.1. When toggling from the anchor Show 1 to Show 2, you only need to press PREV. But for simplicity, always use PAUSE > PREV.2. Now you won't accidentally lose your primary buffer because it is actually a recording.3. Now you have the option to PAUSE Show 2 or to let it keep playing, for instance, to come back after commercials. 4. You can keep your anchor Show 1 and tune to Show 3. Press PAUSE > LIST > PLAY as before. Now PREV toggles between Show 1 ↔ Show 3. 5. You can also watch a an anchor show, say game 1, and channel surf during commercials. To go back to Game 1 press LIST > PLAY.6. To anchor for an extra 3 hours: Setup Step 1. Tune to Show. Press INFO > Record > Stop > 3 Hours later.7. The TiVo DLB setup was a full second quicker because it did not require the third step. 8. Fixing the PREV button so that it always goes to the previous program would allow toggling with only one keystroke.

Option 2 - Flip Shows in Real timeSetup1. Tune to Show 1. Press ®. This is your first live buffer or "anchor" program.2. Tune to Show 2. Press ®. This time you have a second anchor program.

Flip Back in Real TimePress PREV

Option 2 Notes1. The purpose of Option 2 is not to hold the place where you left off. You will have a buffer that you can rewind.2. Option 2 anchors both buffers. You will not be able to switch the second show or channel surf.3. Option 2 gives you the opion to save both shows. To delete both when you are done press LIST • SELECT • SELECT.4. Option 2 uses a single key toggle (PREV) like TiVo DLB. Option 2 requires 2 more keystrokes to set up than TiVo DLB.

If Caller ID does not pop-up on screen when a call comes in while watching the HD DVR PLUS, here are steps that may help solve the problem.

1. Doug Brott discovered improper or missing satellite cable grounding can prevent Caller ID from working. See this thread: Caller ID - A Breakthrough! . Make sure that your satellite cables go through a ground block that is properly tied to your house ground just before they enter your home.

2. Test Caller ID: Attach a phone with Caller ID to the wall jack the HD DVR PLUS normally uses. Use the same phone cord you use for the HD DVR PLUS. Call your home number with a cell phone. Verify that Caller ID Name and Number are displayed.

If the phone does not get Caller ID either, the problem is not with the HD DVR PLUS. - a. Try another phone cord.- b. Unplug all phones. If Caller ID works, reconnect the phones one-by-one to find the problem. - c. Connect the HD DVR PLUS to another phone jack that has working Caller ID for other devices. - d. Verify with your phone company that you have Caller ID with Name & Number.

3. Make sure the phone line is connected to the HD DVR PLUS.

4. Connect the HD DVR PLUS directly to the verified phone wall jack with no splitters or extenders.

5. Run the HD DVR PLUS Phone Test: On the front panel press Active and the Right arrow at the same time. Dial a test call. If problems call tech support at 800-DIRECTV.

1. How far away are the TV towers? Any obstructions in your Line Of Sight?
2. Do you have newer RG6 Quad Shield all the way from the antenna to receiver?
3. How long is your antenna cable?
4. How old are the connectors?
5. Are there any splices or crimps?
6. Where is your antenna? Outside? Inside? Where exactly?
7. Any buildings or terrain nearby to cause reflectsions?
8. How high is your antenna?
9. What antenna are you using?
10. Any amplifiers? What ones?
11. Are you using splitters or diplexers?

Under normal circumstances, you should rarely do more than a Menu Reset. The Red Button Reset is used when the Menu Reset fails.

Sometimes, as a last resot you will need to do an Unplug Reset. Unplugging the HR20 will reset the HR20 when a normal Reset will not. It is the difference between a "cold boot" and a "warm boot." The reason is that it lets all capacitance dissipate and all internal votages should drop to zero.

Here are the steps:
1. Make sure the HR20 is not recording.
2. Turn the HR20 "off".
3. Go to the wall and unplug the HR20 power cord.
4. Wait at least 5 minutes, no less.
5. Plug the HR20 back in.
6. Wait at least 2 minutes after the plug-in to press ON.
It may come on by itself which is OK.

DIRECTV Q3 2007 Earnings Conference Call Transcript and DIRECTV Q3 2007 Earning Report• Net new subscribers up 240,000, almost double the growth of the past quarter 128,000.• 50% of new subscribers in the quarter signed up for HD and/or DVR (advanced services) compared to only 28% a year ago.• Third quarter revenues increased 18% to $4.33 billion.• Of DIRECTV's total subscriber base, just under 40% now have advanced services compared to less than 30% a year ago. • Average Revenue Per User (APRU) rose to $78.79.• ARPU growth was actually adversely affected by the increase of use of discounts and credit (HBO, Showtime, and Stars)• ...expect to end the year with close to 100 HD national channels...• ...move more towards drop shipping a box to a home that is already set up for the upgrade and not require a truck roll...• ...HD DVR is still a $430 or $440 box, and by the end of the first quarter, I think that HD DVR is down a bit over $250. • ...our HD box is still about $210 to $220, and I think by end of first quarter beginning of second quarter next year, it will be $140....• ...I think we’ll end the year probably with somewhere a bit over half a million [MPEG2 HD] customers...• ...the longer we can stretch it out [MPEG2 HD to MPEG4 swaps] the better it is for us... • ...I would think we’ll do certainly probably over half of it [MPEG2 HD to MPEG4 swaps] in ’08....

DIRECTV Q2 2007 Earnings Conference Call Transcript• ... Between now and year end, the HD DVR box cost will decrease about $100 per box. • ... We will launch with an HD package with over 70 channels around the end of the third quarter. • ... between the end of the third quarter and the end of the year, we’ll get to the 100 channels that we talked about.• ... the launch of our initial VOD offer in the fall.• ... SAC [Subscriber Acquisition Cost] will still be in our $650 to $700 band • ... We announced today a new $1 billion buy-back [shares, on top of the earlier $1B buyback]• ... we will not have a programming cost increase related to HD.• ... We’ll have the capacity around the end of the third quarter if the satellite comes online to do 100 channels.

DIRECTV Q1 2007 Earnings Conference Call Transcript• ...DIRECTV-11 is scheduled to be in service the first half of next year. • ...a customer will be able to browse and schedule recordings when away from home...• ...We are going to have thousands of titles available...]most of them are broadband... • ...in [the] summer we will have boxes that will have broadband capability that will be able to deliver video from websites onto your TV or your PC.• ...we’ve got a $10 price to the [HD] package and we don’t have plans to change that.• ...we are going to be moving continuously to...set-top boxes that feeds multiple TVs or a set-top box that integrates multiple devices in the home. • That will all be part of what we will be launching, as well as services like being able to program a DVR from your office on the web or from a cell phone.• ...towards the end of the year bringing 100 channels of HD to the marketplace.

Perhaps the most encouraging fact is that DIRECTV made extensive corrections when going from the HR20 to the HR21 manuals. Errors such as stating that you could record 3 programs at once are removed. But DIRECTV still contends that the features above are a part of the HR20 and now the HR21 as well.

Details...

To Do List ButtonTo reach the To Do List, try these key sequences:

MENU>Down>Down>Down>SELECT>SELECT-or-MENU>Down>Down>SELECT>SELECT

Channels I Receive (CIR) BugThe CIR work does not pull development hours because it is yet another group who is working on CIR. But fixing the CIR bug does not address the fact that the Favorite Channels filters do not work in Searches:

Screen CenteringThe new H21 has this feature. DIRECTV is going to a consistent user interface across all receivers.

Let's say you could buy an upgrade to your HR20 that would add:+ Dual Live Buffers+ Double the tuners (4 instead of 2)+ Double the storage space+ Picture In Picture - Watch two games truly live+ Double the 50 Series Link Limit to 100 (Thank you to christo76 for this one!)

Let's pretend you could get this extra service for $5 per month and a one-time $300 charge.

Would you do it?

Then just buy a second HR20.

Connect two HR20's to your HDTV. Use the TV's PIP (split screen) to watch both at once. Click back and forth. Pause one then the other if you want.

How well this works depends on the capabillities of your TV. You need 2 HD inputs and ideally a simple to use Picture in Picture (Split Screen).

Click through each link in the Ordering Tips. If you have placed your order, you are on step 5. The last few steps are critical. In particular look at the check list you will be asked to sign and confirm everything on line ahead of time.

Also check out the Installation Guide. You can control so much. At the very least you will know how to test to make sure the installation and receiver is good before you sign for it.

Using your remote...1. Press GUIDE. Use your ▲▼ ARROWS to find any show (or enter a channel number.)2. Press SELECT to watch it. Try out: llPAUSE, ►►FAST FORWARD, ◄◄REWIND, REPLAY, & ADVANCE 30 seconds.3. Press ® to record the program. Press the GUIDE button again. Notice the ® symbol there now? 4. You found a show & are recording it! Want to record all upcoming episodes? Press ® again for a Series Link. 5. Notice the ®)) for Series Link? Find a second program. Press ® twice to set it’s Series Link (Season Pass). 6. Press LIST . See your recordings in MyPlaylist? You are recoding two shows at once!7. Press the ●YELLOW button to see your To Do list. Your HD DVR+ may have already found upcoming episodes!8. To delete the ToDo list items: Press the ● button to delete the 1st “To Do” then Yes. Press ● again to delete the 2nd “To Do.”9. To delete the current recordings, press LIST . Press ● to delete the 1st recording. Press ● again to delete the 2nd record.

You can now: find shows, Pause, Replay, Advance, Record shows, set up Series Links, and Delete!

At the completion of your installation or other service, you will be asked to sign a form showing that the following was completed. Read it ahead of time to know what to expect.

Here some highlights:

The installer will:+ Call a day ahead to confirm and again when he is on his way to you+ Arrive on time and clean up afterwards+ Before starting work explain any extra fees + Provided a name and phone number if there are any problems+ Give you your owners manual

The installer will show you how to:+ Find national and local channels (verifies HD Access and local channel access is correct)+ Turn the satellite receiver, TV, DVD, etc. on/off using the remote (verifies remote is programmed)+ Change channels and volume with the remote (verifies TV can be controlled with the remote)+ Set up parental controls and favorite channels+ Check satellite signal strengths (Check 103( to make sure it is at least 85+)+ Find your OTA TV antenna channels if you have a TV antenna connected+ Record a program (verifies DVR service is correct)+ Restart the satellite receiver (if needed)+ Change the TV Input to all devices connected to the TV (verifies everything is connected)+ Compare picture and settings for SD and HD channels (verifies you really are watching HD)

There is a whole world of HD OTA (Over The Air) programming free for the taking!

There are two ways to watch your local channels. A few local HD channels may be available via satellite. Or you may be able to receive Over The Air (OTA) HD locals using a normal TV antenna. If you can receive OTA HD, you will suddenly have anywhere from 6 to 40 new local channels in your HD receiver guide that you can watch or record.

Note the HR21 and H21 are not capable of receiving your local Over the Air (OTA) HD channels.

Many prefer local HD OTA channels via TV antenna to satellite because:1. Better picture resolution with less pixelation (less blotchy or grainy)2. Greater color depth (more vivid colors)3. Better responsiveness to Fast Forward, Replay, REW, etc.4. Less cropping (picture cut off on the edges)5. More reliable than satellite reception6. You may may be able to get dozens of additional local channels.7. PBS HD can be breathtaking.8. OTA may still work even if heavy clouds to the south block the satellite.9. The OTA channels show up in your guide and can be recorded as normal.10. OTA HD can be very easy and inexpensive to set up.

You need a clear line of site to the towers, Anything over 50 miles is considered fringe and special care is needed. As a rule, the higher your antenna, the better your reception.

An antenna inside an attic or house may work if you are near the towers but can cause echos called multipath. In HD, you see this as pixelation or a dropped signal. You see this as "ghosting" on an older Standard Definition. Mountains or nearby buildings can also cause multipath reflections.

If your OTA signal strengths are 80% or higher and you have pixelation or your HR20 can't lock onto a signal, you may have multipath. If your cable is over 10 years old or not RG6 Quad Sheild, replace it with new RG6 Quad Sheild. Directional antennas can also help reduce multipath. You may actually have too much signal and need a variable attenuator.

Notes:1. There are minor differences between manufacturers. For instance the HR20-100 has an external Remote antenna and the HR20-700 is internal.2. Changes in model number such as H20 to H21 mean larger changes. In this case the H21 does not have OTa and the H20 does.3. Larger model number changes mean entirely new platforms. For instance the HR20 is is a complete redesign and is not based on the HR10.

So an HR20-100 would be a High Definition Digital Video Recorder made by Thompson/RCA.

1. Go to www.directv.com. 2. Log into www.directv.com (register if you have not registered before).3. Click TV Listings button on the left4. Click on a program to see a plot summary, future airing, actors, rating, etc.5. Remote Booking: (Remote Booking Help)_ a. Click Record to Receiver to get this screen: DVR Scheduler._ b. Select the HD DVR to use and click Record to Receiver.

DIRECTV will send you a confirmation email when it has successfully programmed your HD DVR+!

1. Call your local Building Inspector's office. Ask if they follow the National Electric Code (NEC). They do. Ask if antennas and satellite dishes have to be grounded. They do.

2. Call DIRECTV Customer Installation Support (CIS) at 1-888-355-7530. Always get the CSR's name and ID number. Tell them that their installation of their DIRECTV dish violates local and national code. Explain that their improper grounding presents a threat to life and property.

State that your dish appears to not have been properly installed per the:

3. If they refuse to provide a free service call, ask to speak with their supervisor. Get their name, ID, etc. and repeat the process.

4. If that does not work, send DIRECT a note such as this to this email:

--------PRESIDENT'S OFFICE COMPLAINTThis email is to document that DIRECTV fully understands that DIRECTV incorrectly installed my satellite dish. DIRECTV understands that my dish is not properly grounded per the National Electric Code, local ordinance, and the DIRECTV Satellite Dish Installation Manual.

DIRECTV's failure to properly ground the DIRECTV satellite dish presents a serious threat to life and property.

As your record shows, I called Customer Installation Support (CIS) at 1-888-355-7530 on ___ and spoke with ___ with an employee identifier number of ___. They refused to correct my installation. I then spoke with supervisor ___, ID# ___ who also refused to correct my installation.

Please refer this complaint to your presidents office and call me to schedule a free service call to correct my DIRECTV installation.

Sincerely,

___accountphoneaddress--------------------

Do this today. They should realign your dish at no cost at the same time upon request.

Your Guide contains dozens of channels and thousands of programs. How do you find just the programs you want to watch and record? The HD DVR Search feature is your answer!

You can search for and record your favorite shows with your desired title, person, keyword, or channel. Recently, DIRECTV has greatly enhanced the Keyword Search capabilities. Keyword Search allows you to find a program that contains certain words in the title or description.

When you do a Keyword Search, you can also select a Category and Subcategory.

But that is just the beginning of the Keyword Searches your HD DVR+ can do.

HD Channels Appear First In Search ResultsFor a show at a certain time, the HD channel is listed before the Standard Definition version. The SD version will be lower resolution but will save space.

Dealing with PunctuationWhen doing a keyword search that includes punctuation, ignore the punctuation. For "CSI: NY", enter CSI NY.

Simple Search ExamplesTOM HANKS- Finds any program with the exact words Tom Hanks.

HANKS TOM- Would probably have no results because the words are not be an exact match (in the right order).

<SPC>- To find any title in a certain category click SPC then Continue. Then choose the Category and Subcategory.

Special CategoriesYou can add categories to your search such as Comedy, Movies, HDTV, VOD, or PPV:HDTV for just HD programs or NNOT HDTV for just SD programs VOD for only DIRECTV on Demand programs or NNOT VOD for no Video on Demand programsPPV for only Pay Per View programs or NNOT PPV for no PPV programs

VOD- Finds all VOD programs. Option: choose a Category such as "Sports" or "Movies" and Subcategory.

Advanced Search ExamplesSay you want to find a car race but not NASCAR? Or find Tom Hanks but not in the Da Vinci code? The HD DVR+ offers several powerful features to help you with more advanced Keyword Searches.

AALL: All the following words must be contained within the program (title, about, name, episode, category) in any order. For example: AALL HANKS TOM - Finds Tom Hanks too since words can be in any order.

AANY: At least one of the following words must be contained within the program (title, about, name, episode, category). For example:AANY HANKS TOM - Finds any program with the word Tom or Hanks so a movie with Tom Arnold may be another result.

NNOT: Exclude any programs that contain any of the following words regardless of previous match.For example: TOM NNOT HANKS - Finds programs with the word Tom but not Hanks so again a movie with Tom Arnold may be a result.

AALL CAR RACE NNOT NASCAR - Finds all shows containing car and race (in any order), but excludes the show if NASCAR appears

AANY USC UCLA NNOT FOOTBALL- Finds either USC or UCLA programs but excludes football games

OAKLAND RAIDERS NNOT DOLPHINS BEARS- Finds Oakland Raiders games but excludes games against the Dolphins or Bears

AALL LAW ORDER NOTH- Finds only the Law & Order episodes with Chris Noth

LAW ORDER NNOT NOTH- Finds only the Law and Order episodes WITHOUT Chris Noth

Notes+ See the HD DVR FAQ and Undocumented HD DVR PLUS Tips & Tricks for other topics.+ If used, AANY or AALL must appear as the first word in the search string in order to set the search mode. Only one can be used per search. + The NNOT keyword may appear anywhere but first. Any words following NNOT must not be anywhere in the title, description, etc.+ AALL is similar to the Boolean AND, AANY is similar to the Boolean OR, and NNOT is similar to the Boolean NOT.

Compiled with the help of Stuart, Doug, Steve, Drew, and Tom based on Earl's original notes.

DIRECTV has a published price for the HD DVR+ and their other receivers. They also have published prices for each programming package.

What will vary is the discounts they will offer.

Credit card, home loan, car loan, and insurance rates are different for every person. All of these industries have found that by using credit scoring they can very accurately model who will pay on time and who will stay with them.

Twin sisters living in identical homes with the same cars and driving record will have different auto rates.

For all of these industries, consumer modeling is working very well. Retention rates are up. Expenses are going down.

If those twins call for rates from their phone company, ISP, cable company, long distance carrier, or DIRECTV, their quotes will be very different. I don't think any run a credit check, just get your credit score.

The opportunity is that for all of these industries if you know what to say, you can get better pricing.

Rates and discounts for all of these industries vary widely by area as well. A person may get a quote from Comcast that is half what he would pay in another market.

For DIRECTV, they also have about 100,000 HR10's that will be replaced over the coming months. The first focus is the LA locals as they are already moving to MPEG4. At the same time, NASCAR HotPass HD has to upgrade because this season will only be MPEG4. Next up is MLB EI by April then NFL ST by August. Also the 72.5 lease is coming up and all of those locals must be moved to MPEG4 this year.

But this flexibility has given us huge opportunities. From last April through September, I could not count how many people got free HR20's if they knew what to do.

A person who has basic negotiating skills can often do much better than the published prices with all of these providers.

Starting last April, we began compiling tips from literally hundreds of success stories, and failures, with DIRECTV.